


Honor You

by Karina



Category: Dr. Dre (Musician), Eminem (Musician)
Genre: ASCAP Awards, Inspired by Real Events, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 11:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20025133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karina/pseuds/Karina
Summary: Inspired by Eminem's speech at the 2010 ASCAP Awards honoring Dr. Dre with the ASCAP Founder's award.The speech scene in the fic uses excerpts from the actual speech Eminem gave, that I transcribed from a YouTube video. The quote at the end is not directly related to the award itself, but rather a quote from an article that I found.





	Honor You

Marshall put down his phone after he finished talking. His heart was beating fast just like the time when he got the call that Dr. Dre wanted to speak to him early on in his career. Now he had a chance to pay tribute to him. It was ASCAP that wanted to honor Dre but he felt honored to be asked to present it to him.

Despite being a public figure, public speaking was never his forte. The fact that making a speech in front of people was more nerve wracking than performing rap in front of people was something that detractors never got.

Yet this had a deeper, personal meaning to it.

He thought about Dre’s legacy and how it affected him and the music industry. How his ability to make beats and produce made rap into a one-of-a-kind art form. How his group’s gritty songs brought realities of the streets in his area and brought it to the masses. How his keen eye for talent propelled careers, including his own. How his belief in him led to his life now.

His thoughts then wandered into how much Dre meant personally to him. They weren’t just business partners or collaborators. They were friends. They were soulmates. They always had faith in each other. They always had each other’s backs.

He thought about all the memories they’ve shared so far and the memories they’d share in the future together. Marshall then began to put his thoughts into paper. It was a process of writing and revising until the speech sounded right. When the writing process had finished, he looked at his notes and carefully read through them again.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although he was still tired from traveling and jumpy from the prospect of making a speech, he walked to the podium and began making his speech at the ASCAP Awards for the award to honor his mentor, friend, and soulmate Dr. Dre.

“When I was just a rap fan growing up in Michigan, I wasn’t even sure what Compton was. But of course I found out. I found out like the rest of the world through raps over beats by tonight’s honoree. I’ve always said that Dre’s music speaks to me in a way that’s difficult to describe but what he does behind the boards makes my pen talk back. I’ve never worked with a more insightful and powerful force in the studio,” he began. 

While making the speech, he mostly read off of his notes. He didn’t care that he was the only one in the room in casual, everyday attire, or that he had no qualms looking at his notes. All that mattered to him was Dre. He knew that what he was saying wasn’t news to Dre. But being the very person to say this right to him in a room filled with industry people made him feel honored.

“But what makes him so important personally is that he believed in me when not many others did. It would’ve been a lot easier for Dre to dismiss me like most people did---’What’s with the white guy from Detroit that raps with the funny voice?’ But he didn’t. He stepped up to the challenge because he saw something in me and for that, Dre, I’m forever grateful, man. So I’m honored and proud to present this year’s ASCAP Founder’s Award to a guy who’s not only changed the face of music, but has also completely changed my life. Doctor Andre Young,” he finished.

After finishing the speech, he listened to Dre make his speech. His name was the first that Dre called out when thanking people. Then they moved over to get their photos taken. It wasn’t his award, but Marshall and Dre knew they had chemistry; professionally and personally. They brought out the best of each other, and helped each other do things they never thought possible. They loved each other and cared for each other so deeply that they’d do anything for each other. The entire experience made the journey from Michigan to LA all the more worthwhile for him. 

_There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for Eminem. I have to give him as much props as he gives me.---Dr. Dre_


End file.
